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"Move!" the oppressive beeper-equipped geek howls in utter contempt at the perfectly inoffensive white collar worker. The worker has been given no chance to do anything, but he is already condemned of failure. The geek, clearly the master of his domain, wishes to make sure all around know who's the boss of the computer realm in which they aimlessly wander. And all the normal users, with their completely reasonable requests and questions, are incessantly scorned by the geek's insane derision.
The worst of the geek stereotype, and more, is ridiculed in this popular Saturday Night Live skit by Jimmy Fallon. I greatly dislike such portrayals. This is certainly an exaggeration for comedic effect, but it is funny to people because it has an air of truth to it. My problem is that the truth is not so easily discernible as appears on the surface.
I am a self-admitted geek. I wasn't so much when I was younger, but I grew into it. I was always smart, and always hid it. It was not until I was out of college and fully immersed in the techno-geek culture through work that I really began to accept the geek mantle. At that time, in the early days of the new millennium, I began talking of the Internet to my college friends, and they would look at me with that oh-so-common look that declared, "Nerd!" I learned not to cross the Internet with the real world.
Nearly ten years later all those friends have found their places on the Internet, mainly due to Facebook. Whereas I hid from my geekdom before, now because the early majority have come around, I have no shame whatsoever in identifying myself as a geek. But despite widespread adoption, when I tell people today they usually respond reassuringly, "Oh, no you're not." The stereotype's negative connotations persist.
On the surface of the stereotype lies the idea that geeks are socially inept. This might have been true once upon a time, but that is simply no longer the case. In my Computer Science class there were probably 120 graduates, and of those only 2 would I say clearly fit the "Revenge Of The Nerds" image – and they were twin brothers. The shy and introverted may gravitate to the facelessness of Internet communication, but a small percentage of the geeks in that world are anything like Hollywood's lowest common denominator. The lack of socialization skills just isn't there in numbers. Don't believe me? Go to DragonCon. Geeky? Yes. Introverted? Not at all. Most people's geek friends are normal looking, and while perhaps quiet, not anything like the image of the computer scientist circa 1980. So I can shrug off as good fun the thick-spectacled Hollywood archetype as being something with which most people can no longer identify.


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From the Harvard Gazette:
Harvard College freshmen got their first taste Aug. 26 of the world of ideas awaiting them over the next four years in a talk by Professor Nicholas Christakis, who argued that human social networks have the power to spread obesity — or happiness — like contagion.
Christakis, who teaches at Harvard Medical School as well as the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, delivered the 2011 Opening Days Lecture, "Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives." He told students at the outset that his work is not primarily concerned with online social networks, but instead focuses on "old-fashioned, face-to-face" relationships and their construction and meaning in people's lives. A "bucket brigade," for example, is a network of individuals optimized to perform a task in pursuit of a goal: the transport of water to extinguish a fire. Take the same network and organize it in a different way, and it will be optimized for a different purpose: a telephone tree to disseminate information; a Ponzi scheme for the profit of grifters.
Christakis, who is a medical doctor as well as a Ph.D., discussed his interest in the impact of human social networks on public health. In 2002, he and some colleagues studied the problem of obesity, often called an "epidemic" in Western society. Christakis said he wanted to examine social networks to see whether or not obesity actually spreads from person to person, like a virus. He showed students graphs of data from the 30-year Framingham Heart Study, and explained how he and his colleagues analyzed clusters to see if someone were more likely to become obese if a friend were overweight.
"We found that, if your friend is obese, there is a 45 percent greater likelihood that you will become obese," he said. "If your friend's friend is obese, the likelihood is 25 percent higher. In fact, only at four degrees of separation — your friend's friend's friend's friend— is there no longer a relationship between that person's body size and yours."
Christakis said that he and his colleagues found that human social networks could also move public health in a positive direction. For example, since 1971, the proportion of the U.S. population that smokes tobacco went from 40 percent to 20. Christakis again displayed data from the Framingham study that showed people typically quit smoking in clusters. A person was more likely to stop using tobacco if his or her friend — or even a friend's friend — stopped.
The study of networks and happiness gave Christakis his greatest personal satisfaction, he said, and allowed him to settle an old debate.
"In high school, [my friends and I] would tell our mothers, 'If I could just be more popular, then I would be more happy,' '' he said. "Our mothers would say, 'Actually, if you become more happy, then you'd be more popular.' It turns out that we were right, and our mothers were wrong! Being in the middle of a network enhances your happiness. If you become more popular, that contributes to being happy more than being happy contributes to being more popular."
Toward the end of his talk, Christakis did turn to the differences between online and traditional networks. In a study of Harvard undergraduates on Facebook, he found that students had an average of about 110 "friends." To see how many of these relationships were close and how many tenuous, he had some students look at Facebook profiles to see how often classmates uploaded and tagged photographs of people they were connected to online. The findings reinforced the value of relationships based on traditional face-to-face contact.
"You might have 1,000 friends on Facebook, but only for a subset of them do you appear in a photograph that gets uploaded and tagged with your name," Christakis explained. "Based on this, we found that people typically had over 100 Facebook friends, but only six real friends [who uploaded and tagged their photo]."
In light of these results, Christakis expressed concern about the way that Facebook had changed the meaning of the word "friend."
"It's very interesting to me that Facebook has managed to co-opt a very old word in our language — friend — and apply it where it has no business," he said. "All those people, they're not your friends. At best, they're your acquaintances."
Related Situationist posts:
- The Scalability of Cities
- The Unequal Situation of Seperation
- Some Situational Sources of Longer Life
- Nicholas Christakis on the Situation of Epidemics
- The Stressful Situation of Disease
- Inequality and the Unequal Situation of Mental and Physical Health
- The Situation of Handguns on Urban Streets-Abstract
- "Innovative Policy: Zoning for Health,"
- "The Situation of Social Networks,"
- "The Social Situation of Breaking Up,"
- "Social Networks,"
- "Common Cause: Combating the Epidemics of Obesity and Evil," and
- "Situational Obesity, or, Friends Don't Let Friends Eat and Veg."

subset: commoncrawl


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Island of Opportunity: Exploring the Potential of Puerto Rico
Jorge Colon took numerous wrong turns but eventually we arrived at the largest slaughterhouse on the island of Puerto Rico. Jorge, a local climber and a dog lover who runs a kennel, had come here so he could purchase an industrial-sized bone cutter and a large bag of bovine tripe to be used for dog food.
The plant manager, who is friendly with Jorge, asked if we wanted to come in. We were hesitant about seeing the horror show inside, but replied, "Sure, why not?"
A heavyset man with a thick white mustache guided Jorge and me up a set of creaky stairs. He noticed my camera and, fearing bad publicity, asked that I not photograph anything. I nodded. We entered a blood-splattered room.
A door in a cramped metal corral opened and a hefty Angus bull wandered into the pen.
"Do you ever feel bad killing so many cows?" I asked the mustached man.
"What? Feel bad? Ha. No. Never," he replied. "It's just a job. This is food. It's tough finding work on this island and I have a family to feed."
He proceeded to kill five cows and then showed us out. The sunlight felt blinding and I was queasy. Three huge men were just hoisting the 300-pound bone cutter onto the bed of Jorge's pick-up. The truck slumped under the weight, and I wondered how the two of us would ever get it down by ourselves. The manager handed Jorge two plastic bags, one filled with tripe for the dog food, and the other filled with bull testicles, apparently for our own consumption.
The ride back to Jorge's home in Vega Baja seemed especially long and dreary.
"I think I'm scarred for life, man," I said.
"I think I am too, man," he said after a long pause.
We arrived at Jorge's home, where his 13 dogs frantically barked and pawed at their cages. Jorge ground up the tripe in a hand-powered blender and fed it to the hungry canines.
Just then my phone vibrated with a text from Chris Sierzant, an Atlanta-based climber who, with Kara Freeman, had just arrived at the San Juan airport. I'd met Chris over a year ago while working on a photo essay in Little River Canyon, Alabama, and was immediately impressed by his fearless and nonchalant approach to climbing. He humorously referred to himself as an "extreme sports model" and proceeded to climb and re-climb everything for the camera regardless of difficulty and danger, including a 40-foot 5.12c above rocky waters no deeper than three feet.
I remembered him brandishing a machete and jumping from boulder to boulder, closely followed by Lucifer, his fierce-looking Doberman Pinscher. His distinctive tattoo sleeve of a cyborg-medusa gave him an edge when he spoke about topics like knife fighting and hunting. I had been warned to be careful traveling with him because of his tendency to attract trouble, but after spending an afternoon at the slaughterhouse, I figured his antics would be tame in comparison.
Chris and Kara arrived at Jorge's house in high spirits. Soon Chris was clambering up a palm tree to get coconuts. He jumped back to the ground, grabbed a nearby machete, split a coconut open with a few hacks, and drank the water.
"I should have brought my machete," he said, inspecting the blade. "This one is kind of dull."
This was Chris's second trip to Puerto Rico in a year and he was looking for redemption. Severely injured by rock fall to his left knee two days into his first visit, he had been sidelined while his traveling companions enjoyed some of the most scenic seaside climbing in the Caribbean. He had spent the last year rehabilitating his knee and hoping to return to the island and experience its climbing potential to the fullest.
Chris was excited to return to Bayamon, an urban sport crag near San Juan with hundreds of well-bolted routes on walls that resembled melted wax. He told us about the radically overhanging white limestone walls dripping with bulbous tufas in San German and the psychedelic splotched beach boulders in Aguadilla. Most of all, he wanted to experience the deep-water soloing in Barceloneta and to find virgin walls.
"There's a rad arch at Cueva Del Taíno. It looks like Sharma's Es Pontas in Mallorca," Chris explained. "There's also a slightly overhanging wall right next to it with some fun moderates. If the sea isn't too crazy we should climb there."
"Have you seen those huge caves high up in the mountains right off Highway 22?" I asked. "Those stalactites have to be at least 5 feet long. Is anyone developing that stuff?"
"I doubt it," Chris said. "If reaching them is somewhat difficult, chances are the wall is untouched." His eyes gleamed.
His enthusiasm was contagious and we could not wait to tour the island. Puerto Rico, also known as Boriquén by the native Taíno, is a small unincorporated territory of the United States. Approximately 110 miles long and 35 miles wide, it can be crossed by car in three hours. The island was "discovered" by Christopher Columbus on his second trip to the New World and became an important military outpost for the Spanish. The Taíno Indians were forced into slavery and decimated within five decades.
After losing the Spanish-American War, Spain renounced Puerto Rico to the United States in 1898. Soon after, Puerto Ricans were forced to become U.S. citizens with limited civil and political rights. Even today, Puerto Ricans cannot vote for the President of the United States and are granted one non-voting representative in Congress; however, they have to serve in the U.S. military if drafted.
The official languages are Spanish and English, but Spanish dominates. With a non-representative government that does not affirm its people's nationality and language, close to 2 million Puerto Ricans, almost half the population, live below the poverty line. However, though Puerto Ricans lack many economic and political opportunities, they are wealthy in beautiful natural resources that attract outdoor recreation enthusiasts like rock climbers.
We packed Jorge's tiny white sedan with climbing gear and headed to Piñones. The car's worn-out shocks repeatedly bottomed out on the rough back roads. When we arrived, it was late in the afternoon and the tide was high. We watched in disappointment as waves pummeled the orange volcanic bluff, making the best lines inaccessible.
"Let's just go swimming in the bay and relax," I suggested. "Maybe we could go to Bayamon later?"
Kara and Chris began doing water acrobatics while I swam. When I returned they were talking to a manatee-shaped man with raised skin tattoos and gold teeth, wearing a gold chain and a tiny black Speedo. Antonio had just moved back to Puerto Rico from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and was eager to share his knowledge of the island. He gave Chris his phone number, saying kindly, "Whatever you need, just give me a call."
We clambered again into Jorge's beater and drove 45 minutes to the Julio Enrique Monagas Park in Bayamon. By the time we made it to the park the sun had almost set. Chris beelined to a radically overhanging cave full of white tufas, but it was too dark and mosquito-ridden to climb. A bit frustrated, we hopped back in the car and headed to Vega Baja, with Jorge grumbling every time we hit a pothole.
A few miles down the road, a tire popped. We got out of the car and began the trek home in the humid night air. When we finally arrived at Jorge's house, we discovered his water and electricity had been turned off. The utility companies couldn't care less about this neglected part of the island. There would be no showers. No bathroom. No cooking. All of a sudden the smell of dog poo and piss seemed all too pervasive and nauseating.
While we replaced the sedan's back tire with a spare, Jorge informed us that he needed his truck for work tomorrow and would not be able to tour us around. We were stranded. Chris was revved up higher than a Chevy SS engine at full throttle and was prepared to smash any obstacles getting in the way of him and rock. Though we wanted to climb, we could see Jorge was in a tight spot and did not want to pressure him into skipping a day of work.
"Why don't we call the guy we met today?" asked Chris.
"You think he'll drive 45 minutes to pick us up?"
"We should at least try," Kara said.
"Do you know anyone else we could call?" I asked, hesitant to be indebted to anyone in a gold chain and Speedo.
"Yeah, but one guy I know is working in the morning and the other dude lives on the other end of the island," explained Chris.
We asked Jorge and his girlfriend, Jessica, for their address, but they were stumped. Apparently they don't place importance on addresses on an island that is only a little larger than Rhode Island. I found a piece of mail with an address and called up Antonio.
He wasn't psyched about driving 45 minutes to pick us up, but after we offered to pay for gas and buy him lunch, he was in. "I knew we all met for a reason," he said. "I believe the Lord has a plan for me. I'll see you in the morning."
I hung up and smiled.
"I think the dude is kind of religious," I said.
"Not good," said Chris. "We probably can't trust him. We'll rent a car as soon as we can."
The following morning, we lugged our belongings to a nearby intersection and waited to meet Antonio. When he arrived, we hopped into his red sedan and I directed him toward Piñones. The car reeked of cologne and a bobble-head Hula dancer swayed with every turn. Along the way we filled up his tank and picked up Chris's attractive friend Brooks, a climber who was vacationing on the island. As promised, we took Antonio out for lunch, where we ordered mofongo, a fried-plantain dish. Antonio ordered some strange fish. Chris started flirting with Brooks and I could not comprehend how Kara could remain so calm and collected. I had assumed they were a couple.
"Kara is my favorite girlfriend," said Chris. "I don't believe in monogamy."
"Chris is my number-one boyfriend," Kara responded. "You know what I miss most about the States? My girlfriend." She flashed a coquettish smile.
Antonio and I were clearly out of our element. We remained quiet but attentive throughout the meal as Chris and Kara explained how an open relationship works.
They are the most sexually open people I have ever known and Antonio quickly warmed up to these qualities. When we finally got the check, the amount seemed too high. I checked the receipt and noticed Antonio helped himself to the most expensive dish on the menu. Though a little pissed, we paid for the meal as promised.
"Where do you want to go now?" Antonio asked.
"Can you take us to a secluded beach?" asked Kara. The day had turned out to be unseasonably hot and we didn't want to climb midday.
"I know exactly where you want to go," he said, his gold teeth sparkling in the sun.
We arrived at a delaminated shack off PR-186 and Antonio led us down a concrete path to a faint beach trail covered in tiny burrs that dug painfully into our feet. After a short walk, we reached a spectacular vista that opened up to miles and miles of undisturbed coastline.
As the girls stripped off their clothes and ran toward the ocean, Antonio turned to me and asked, "Are the girls, um, loose?"
"Nah, free spirits," I told him.
"This is a screw spot, you know," he explained.
"Uh, OK," I said, feeling a little weirded out.
"Come on, Tomás! Come skinny-dipping!" yelled Kara.
I jogged closer to the shore, scanned for lurkers, took off my trunks and ran in. The water was warm and embracing. The strength of the ocean felt intimidating as I bobbed up and down in the large swell. While we swam, Antonio disappeared into the woods and returned with a large tree trunk to sit on. Discreetly I stepped out of the ocean and dressed. I grabbed my camera and started shooting the pristine landscape. Meanwhile, Antonio grabbed his iPhone and began snapping photos of Kara and Brooks, sunbathing in the nude.
"This dude is super creepy," I said to Chris. "He's the size of a WWE wrestler. We have to get away from this guy."
Antonio looked back at us, and caught us watching him watch the girls. He stood up with the dexterity of a bull walrus and jogged over to the ocean.
Soon we departed for Punta Vacia Talega, where Bryant Huffman, one of the most active climbers on the island and a movie-set designer by trade, was waiting for us. Leaning on the hood of his X-Terra he seemed perplexed, wondering what we were doing with a stranger who looked straight out of the prison show Oz. Bryant's scruffy facial hair and thick black-rimmed glasses gave him the look of an intellectual revolutionary. He was not impressed with our new friend and seemed guarded.
A short hike through thorn bushes deposited us at the top of the orange seaside bluffs. I stood in rapt silence, admiring the unrelenting strength of the turquoise sea as it pounded an arching cliff in the distance. The hardened lava below our feet rose up into millions of small sharp spikes whose outlines resembled electrocardiogram readouts. We clambered down to the sandy beach below and looked up at a slightly overhanging 20-foot wall that stretched out for 80 feet. Bryant pointed out the best lines while we inspected the razor-sharp holds.
"It seems like every time I come out here the problems change," Bryant said. "Last time the wall seemed a lot taller. See that small cave over there?" Bryant pointed at a shallow cave carved out by the sea. "You could start the problem inside it last time. The best part about this spot, though, is that you don't need any gear. The sand is super soft and you can fall from up high without fear."
The top outs resembled the incisors of a dragon and the wall was covered in a light dusting of sea salt. I quickly tested Bryant's statement by pitching off near the top of a problem. As promised, the sand below swallowed up my feet and cushioned my fall. A surging breaker immediately wiped away any traces of my impact crater and I felt like the sea had given me a clean slate.
Kara and Brooks undressed and began climbing nude. Antonio quickly discovered the joys of spotting women. He whipped out his trusty iPhone again and began snapping pictures. The girls just laughed and teased. But after a few minutes of laughing, they clearly became uncomfortable in his presence.
"Don't you have to see your niece in the hospital?" I asked Antonio.
"Sounds like you want me to go, huh?" he said, sounding hurt.
"Yeah, we'd like you to leave," said Chris bluntly.
"Oh, so you want me to leave, too?" Antonio said, puffing his elbows out.
I reluctantly prepared for a fight and glanced over at Chris, who was ready to pounce. Then Antonio saw Bryant coming over and quickly reconsidered his options. He walked back toward the thorn bushes and disappeared. As night descended on the landscape, Bryant suggested we drive into Old San Juan and grab a drink at his friend's tapas bar. Bryant seemed like a solid person and we were thankful to be under his guidance.
We arrived at a dimly lit dive bar and sat at a long oak table. Two of Brooks's friends joined us and the waiter brought a round of mojitos. As everyone loosened up, we started dancing.
"Take a picture!" yelled Chris as he handed me a point-and-shoot camera. He was being mauled by six beautiful women on the dance floor and wanted a memento.
Soon, we left the bar and Chris scaled the side of an old building. It looked fun so I followed. We campused the balconies and one of the girls from the bar spotted us from below. She popped back into the bar, and we heard her talking about what she had just seen.
We slid down a pipe and decided to check out the Nuyorican Café for salsa dancing. When we arrived at the club, a massive crowd of people stood smoking and drinking at the entrance. The alleyway was lined with yellow walls full of sloping ledges. Brooks walked up to a wall, climbed up a few feet and jumped down. Chris joined her and quickly climbed up 35 feet to a balcony, campused across the balcony and down climbed.
A drunken reveler inspired by Chris's performance began to struggle up the wall, too. His deck shoes slipped and slid on the slick painted surface, but he persevered. At 10 feet he lunged for a semi-detached lamppost and took a rest. The light flickered as he pushed down on it to reach the next set of sloping holds. At 25 feet he desperately grabbed the bottom of a Catalan-style ironwork balcony. He looked down and announced his intention to jump.
The crowd erupted into a chorus of, "No! No! It's too high!"
"I can't hold on!" he cried in Spanish, sweat soaking the back of his red polo shirt.
"Get onto the balcony!" someone yelled.
Fear and adrenaline helped him grab the bottom of the iron railing. One of his hands slipped and he dangled in the air by one arm. He matched and heel hooked a gap in the railing. With his leg locked in, he reached up for the top railing, manteled and slumped onto the ledge. We could hear him breathing heavily and thanking God. A few moments went by and he stood up. He looked at Chris and asked, "How did you get down?"
"I came down the wall on the right," Chris said. "You have to be careful, though. The holds felt slippery."
The man sighed in exasperation and straddled the balcony. The crowd went wild and repeated, "No! No! No!" He stepped back into the alcove.
The owner of the building, a chic hotel called Da House, stepped out into the alley and sternly addressed the man. "Get down now! I'm calling the police!"
Struck with fear, the man began his sketchy descent. While he rested on a creaky street lamp, a policeman appeared and demanded, "What are you doing?"
The man slumped off the wall and landed on the ground like a rag doll. He stood up in a daze, looked at the policeman, shrugged and walked away. Dumbfounded, the policeman watched as the man stumbled into a nightclub nearby. Above, the balcony door slowly opened and a sleepy man with disheveled hair peeked out, then closed the door and returned to bed.
I looked down the alley and spotted Chris making out with Brooks. I looked around for Kara and noticed she and Brooks's friend were missing. I walked over to Bryant, standing outside the salsa club, and he suggested we split for another bar.
"Tomorrow," Bryant said, slapping me on the back. "I promise to show you the wealth of climbing this place has to offer!"
Piñones (GPS Coordinates: +18° 27' 8.84", -65° 54' 21.88")
These cliffs resemble the mouth of a dragon. The volcanic rock is sharp and looks brittle, but is surprisingly solid. The height of the cliff varies depending on the tide and currents, and can get as high as 25 feet. This spot is located on Punta Vacia Talega. To get here from PR-26, take the exit for Ave. Los Gobernadores/PR-187. Follow this road for approximately 13.3 km.
Bayamon (GPS Coordinates: +18° 24' 34.12", -66° 8' 30.50")
This urban crag is a short drive from San Juan in the Julio Enrique Monagas National Park. The cliffs are limestone and look like melted wax. The climbing is three-dimensional and involves a lot of pinching, stemming, and liebacking. This is primarily a sport-climbing area, though there is some decent bouldering downhill from the main cliffs.
Directions below are from the free Nuevo Bayamon Guide from Aventuras Tierra Adentro:
From San Juan get on Highway 22 West. Take exit 10 to Road 5. Stay in the right lane and take the first exit. At the stop sign, make a left to 28 (also known as GOYA Road). Cross a traffic light and turn right after the GOYA warehouse. After the park gate, cross the parking lot and make two rights to a second parking lot between playgrounds and gazebos. Park here. Hike up the tar road that heads toward the woods. Take the trail marked with a cairn and a carabiner sign between two bunkers. When you come out into a clearing, keep hiking straight up. After the uphill left bend of the road, you will see two trails on your right side. Go up either one and you will arrive at the cliff.
Aguadilla (GPS Coordinates: +18° 30' 23.65", -67° 8' 7.09")
This spot is near the Survival break, one of the most famous and dangerous places to surf in all of Puerto Rico. The bouldering here is primarily on radically overhanging sandstone cliffs that jut over the spot where waves break. It is a great place to beach camp, relax and surf.
Rosario in San German
This area features a radically overhanging white limestone cliff with amazing tufa features. There are also numerous multi-pitch sport routes on beautiful orange and red limestone. The views from above the canopy of coffee farms are spectacular.
Directions below are from the free Rosario Peñón Guide:
From road #2 take exit #168 to road #330 north. Drive 3.8 miles and turn right to road #348. After 1.6 miles park on the left side of the road just before crossing a small bridge over a creek. Cross the road and hike west on a dirt road. The rock will be on your right. Approach time is about 10 minutes.
Cueva Del Indio (GPS Coordinates: +18° 29' 34.70", -66° 38' 14.53")
Cueva Del Indio, in Barceloneta, is the premier deep-water soloing destination on the island. There is a unique cave covered in Taino petroglyphs. Impressive overhanging routes and a steep arch make this area an experts-only outing. Avoid climbing when the sea looks rough.
From San Juan head northwest on Expreso Jose De Diego/PR-22 W. Take the exit toward Cll 2. Continue onto PR-140. Continue onto PR-684. Turn right onto Ave Boca/PR-684. You will be on this road for about 14.5 km. A sign on your right will say Cueva del Indio. Pull into the dirt driveway and park in front of Richard's house. He will charge you $2 to park.


text: Wohoooo #bicycletouring Slim Ride & Camp http://t.co/smlNnUBPT3 via http://ift.tt/1hiTro5 Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading... Author: krankster I am an avid cyclist that loves mountain biking, bike commuting and most of all bicycle touring. I am a freelance leadership coach and hope to inspire others through my cycling adventures. View all posts by krankster


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Featured Readers Responses [1] to My Tweets :
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Labour star 'foiled bid to save Syrian Doctor : Family's fury at Chuka Umunna's failure to act to secure release of a 'martyr'
* Dr Abbas Khan died in Syria this week while being held prisoner
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* Claim Umunna stopped a delegation going to Syria to lobby for his release
* I clearly remember Ben Osi Umunna ( Chuka Umunna's Father ).
* In my opinion , I personally think that Chuka Umunna did not (fundamentally) handle this matter properly ; most probably because in 2013 he may not have been as Politically Mature as one would have wished.
* Let this be a Lesson to you all : Black UK Politicians are not always (necessarily) as helpful as one would expect , most especially during Times of Crisis.
* Black Voters , (plus others), duly elected Chuka into Power as their MP - So it is better to Deal with it via the Ballot Box if you are not happy with his Stewardship.
* Chuka Umunna currently has a relatively small Parliamentary Constituency Majority ; so Voting Him Out of Parliament would not be all that hard - if all of the Asians (and Muslims) got together and Voted for EITHER the Liberal Democrats or the Green Party.
* In the Interim , I will see what I can do (in terms of Publicity) for you.


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BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's governor positioned the oil-rich state Tuesday as a primary battleground in the decades-old fight over abortion rights, signing into law the nation's toughest restriction on the procedure and urging lawmakers to set aside cash for an inevitable legal challenge.
Minutes after Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed three anti-abortion measures — one banning them as early as six weeks into a pregnancy — unsolicited donations began pouring into the state's lone abortion clinic to help opponents prove the new laws are unconstitutional.
"Although the likelihood of this measure surviving a court challenge remains in question, this bill is nevertheless a legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v. Wade," Dalrymple said in a statement, referring to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion up to until a fetus is considered viable — usually at 22 to 24 weeks.
Dalrymple seemed determined to open a legal debate on the legislation, acknowledging "the constitutionality of this measure is an open question." He asked the Legislature to set aside money for a "litigation fund" that would allow the state's attorney general to defend the measure against lawsuits.
He also signed into law measures that would makes North Dakota the first state to ban abortions based on genetic defects such as Down syndrome and require a doctor who performs abortions to be a physician with hospital-admitting privileges.
The measures, which would take effect Aug. 1, are fueled in part by an attempt to close the Red River Women's Clinic in Fargo — the state's sole abortion clinic.
Tammi Kromenaker, the clinic's director, called the legislation "extreme and unconstitutional" and said Dalrymple "awoke a sleeping giant" by approving it. The clinic, which performs about 3,000 abortions annually, was accepting cash donations and continued to take appointments Tuesday, she said.
"First and foremost, abortion is both legal and available in North Dakota," she said. "But anytime abortion laws are in the news, women are worried about access."
The Center for Reproductive Rights announced Tuesday that it has committed to challenging the fetal heartbeat bill on behalf the clinic. The New York-based group already represented the clinic for free in a lawsuit over a 2011 law banning the widely accepted use of a medication that induces abortion. A judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of the law, and a trial is slated for April in Fargo.
Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem told The Associated Press that the attorneys from his office would defend any lawsuits that arise but an increase to the agency's budget would likely be necessary. He did not have a dollar amount.
The state has spent about $23,000 in legal costs to date defending the 2011 legislation banning the widely accepted use of a medication that induces abortion, according to agency records obtained by The Associated Press.
Julie Rikelman, litigation director for the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the group has provided three attorneys to argue that case. But in the recent round of legislation, the fetal heartbeat measure is priority because it would effectively ban abortion in the state, she said.
"The impact is very, very clear," she said. "It would have an immediate and very large impact on the women in North Dakota."
Rikelman said the center also would support the clinic in other litigation, if need be and at no cost.
Kromenaker said other states have spent millions of dollars defending legislation, if the case reaches the nation's high court. Rikelman said it's impossible to put a dollar amount on the impending legal fight in North Dakota.
"Litigation is so unpredictable," she said. "It could be very quick with a ruling in our favor."
North Dakota's law, which would ban most abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, goes even further than a bill approved earlier this month in Arkansas that establishes a 12-week ban — prohibiting them when a fetal heartbeat can be detected using an abdominal ultrasound. That ban is scheduled to take effect 90 days after the Arkansas Legislature adjourns.
A fetal heartbeat can generally be detected earlier in a pregnancy using a vaginal ultrasound, but Arkansas lawmakers balked at requiring women seeking abortions to have the more invasive imaging technique.
North Dakota's legislation doesn't specify how a fetal heartbeat would be detected. Doctors performing an abortion after a heartbeat is detected could face a felony charge punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Women having an abortion would not face charges.
The legislation to ban abortions based on genetic defects also would ban abortion based on gender selection. The Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion laws throughout the country, says Pennsylvania, Arizona and Oklahoma also have laws outlawing abortion based on gender selection.
The Republican-led North Dakota Legislature has endorsed a spate of anti-abortion Legislation this year. North Dakota lawmakers moved last week to outlaw abortion in the state by passing a resolution defining life as starting at conception, essentially banning abortion in the state. The measure is likely to come before voters in November 2014.
Representatives also endorsed another bill last week that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the disputed premise that fetuses feel pain at that point. That measure awaits Dalrymple's signature.
Dalrymple attended a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for a new diesel refinery in western North Dakota and made no public appearance to explain his signing of the abortion legislation.


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If you need some cash between checks, an online payday loan is a good option. In an unexpected, short-term emergency, Middleburg payday loans online are the perfect solution because they do not require a long-term commitment. Car repairs, medical emergencies, and unforeseeable bills are just some of the common things individuals use such advances for. Some circumstances sometime prevent us from having enough money to make it until payday. Stay calm and collected in these times. Middleburg payday loans online require payment at the borrower's next payday or within a few weeks of receiving the money, which makes them short-term. They have also considered a high-cost loan due to the APR percentage, or annual percentage rate.
For payday loans, Middleburg City has some increased laws and requirements. However, your geographic region might differ depending on the laws in that region.
To be approved for online payday loans Middleburg in Virginia VA, there is no need for perfect credit. Lenders do not check your credit score, and they will even put the money directly into your bank account. They can also provide it via check if needed—payday loans Middleburg no checking account required. Advances typically range from $50 to $1000, but each of them will have a due date in which the advance is to be paid in full by.
When applying, the APR percentage is an extra charge you are going to come across. The amount borrowed and the APR percentage are due at the same time, which is usually the date set in the agreement. The exact amount of the APR percentage can vary between lenders, but such advances are a great solution to meet your financial needs between paychecks. Though it is a quick solution for those with bad credit or low income, the APR percentage can occasionally be daunting.
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Credit is a big approval factor for traditional advances. Some people might meet the requirements of these traditional loans, but what about the people that have below-average credit? These individuals are put at a disadvantage in emergencies. They shouldn't have to go without ends meet just because of their credit. That is why there is no credit check with our payment plans. We designed the payday loans Middleburg no credit check with those with bad credit in mind. When you need money most, you should not worry about your credit. Get the cash you need fast with a payday loan.
A Middleburg lender that has a complicated and challenging system can hinder getting your money when you need it. We know our process shouldn't be difficult or complicated during hard times. So, with us, you can get your cash quickly and easily because we only have three requirements. First, you must be 18 years or older to take out money. Secondly, you must have an active bank account that you can provide information for. Having this information allows us to be able to transfer your funds as quickly as possible. Finally, you must have a government ID or social security number. Our process is rapid and convenient because we only require those three things.
Unsecured loans have their benefits. Secured advances are backed by assets such as your home or car. These are loans such as a mortgage or auto loan. If you default, don't pay, the lender will use the asset a form of payment. Unsecured loans are the opposite. Any assets do not back them; however, they keep your assets safe even in a time of default. With unsecured loans just as payday loans, all you must do is provide your bank account information to receive your money.
The Reason for Middleburg Online Payday Loans
Does it surprise you that about 90% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck? Only about 10% of Americans have savings. Emergencies can happen even when we plan. Maybe your car breaks down, or maybe your spouse has a heart attack, and you now have only one income. Whatever happens, stay in control of your finances by using this.
Most people turn to max out their credit cards when they need money quickly. Then their credit score drops because of the max use. Once the credit score drops, access to traditional loans becomes limited. Have money deposited into your account or receive a check with a payday loan in Middleburg of Virginia VA. Take control of your money and stop those pesky debt collectors.
Auto loans and mortgages are much more challenging to apply than payday loans are. Short periods like emergency situations are perfect for using a payday loan. A few requirements and proof income are all that is needed to apply. The amount is based on your income, and there is no credit check. For quick cash, payday advances are the way to go as there are no wait times.
Get cash fast with no hard inquiry on your credit. Payday loans are hassle-free. In an emergency, the last thing one should worry about is their credit score. With payday advances, there is no need to. They allow you to get paid the same day and are much easier to pay off than traditional long-term loans. Get your money quickly with speedy approvals.
There are very few requirements to qualify. Read them below.
The perfect 24hour payday loans Middleburg lender can be found with just a few critical considerations.
What kind of experience does the lender have? – Rookie lenders on the internet cannot be trusted. A lender with knowledge is a better choice than rookie lenders as they are more trustworthy. Understanding this information can protect you from a mistake as a borrower. Does this lender have the experience they need?
What fees are involved?– Borrowers can have detrimental actions to their finances if they get into a bad agreement. To avoid a bad agreement, the borrower needs to research the fees and extra charges involved with the loan beforehand. Do your research ahead of time to save money and stress.
Does the lender have good security? – One of the hallmarks of the best lenders is a secure website. A lender is not good unless they want to protect your information as much as you do. Don't put your information out there with an unsecured website from a subpar lender. Unsecure websites allow for security breaches that create bigger problems for the borrower.
Does the lender have some flexibility? – Borrowers already have a lot of choices. Payday lenders should give them even more. 24hour payday loans Middleburg lenders should not make hard times difficult and complicated. A flexible application process and understanding of the borrower's circumstances are how to prove superiority. Lenders should have a plan for extensions if you needed it and many different options to suit your situation. Find a lender with plenty of flexibility.
How good of ratings does your online Middleburg lender have? – Learn all you need to know about a lender by researching their customer reviews. Does the lender have loyal customers? Do they fix their mistakes? Does this lender have mostly good reviews? Not only do the positive reviews give borrowers a lot of information, but so do negative reviews. Perusing the good and the bad reviews are a good way to avoid a bad lender. Get a full picture of your lender's operations.
A maximum borrowing amount or any set financing fees do not exist in Middleburg City, Texas. More and more individuals every day take out payday loans due to the not so strict laws in Texas.
Even though there are fewer requirements of Middleburg City lenders, there are still two important ones. Lenders must first provide clear lending terms that are upfront before signing. This means that the borrower should know things like the repayment schedule and APR percentage before agreeing to the terms. Additionally, though it seems simple, Middleburg City lenders must also be licensed. All Middleburg payday lenders must uphold these two requirements.
Lenders just require a few documents for approval. After those few documents are approved, an approval amount is sent out shortly after. There isn't much that is required, which makes it a straightforward process. The longest part of the process isn't the application but can be the transfer of money to the bank. Some lenders can take up to a few hours, but a lot of lenders can have it there in minutes. Even if the transfer takes a few hours, borrowers will get their same money day.
Since the application is online, there is no need to get to a physical location to apply. Just find your device and connect to the internet. The application is simple and convenient. Online applications can save you time by forgoing the meeting with an officer.
Traditional loans, such as an auto one, require more than twice the amount of documentation and paperwork than a payday advance requires. The main determining factor is the borrower's income, which means that is where the focus is on the application. Lenders require verification of income to prove that their borrower is going to have the means to pay. In addition to income, the borrower must also be at least 18 years of age. Credit is not considered when applying for a payday loan because it is designed for individuals with bad credit and low income.
Lenders can set a maximum loan amount because it is based on the borrower's income. Even so, there is some flexibility in the maximum amount with some lenders. These flexible lenders will allow for an increase in the loan amount after the borrower has proved their payment worthiness. This means that if one applies for $400 for their first advance, they are approved and pay on time according to the agreement. Then the lender will possibly allow $650 to be approved next time. Please check with a local officer for more details since some states that limit this practice.
Using a payday loan Middleburg in Virginia VA can increase your credit score since they are short-term loans that can be paid off in full quickly. Paying off that full amount in a timely fashion can raise your credit score. This makes payday loans much better for financial stability rather than longer installment ones.
Get payday advance loans Middleburg in Virginia and receive access to the money you need quickly. Whatever you may need it for, you can count on a payday loan for a little help between checks. Just agree to pay the advance by the due date and get cash loans online today. It is possible to get one online.
Emergencies are bound to happen in life. Payday loans are perfect for getting you through those hard times. Hardworking people use them every day to make ends meet. Millions of people daily take out payday loans because they provide you with cash when you need it. Control your finances with a quick application process. This article has shown you the many benefits and exactly how to apply. Are you frustrated with the phrase "I need a loan"? Use this information to find 'payday loans Middleburg near me' and apply today.
It's the sort of credit you take when different emergencies happen. There are such examples as medical bills, house maintenance, car repair, etc. Of course, each customer has his own purpose.
Applying does NOT affect your credit score!
No credit check to apply.


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Morning Jolt: New lead about missing airplane
In the news
Officials are now looking into the possibility that the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 did fly for hours after it dropped off radar, as U.S. officials have said, and that it was headed toward the Andaman Islands, CNN reported. Officials think the plane might have been hijacked and that whoever was flying the plane was following "waypoints," i.e., physical landmarks. Cmdr. William Marks of the U.S. 7th Fleet told CNN, "It's a completely new game now. We went from a chess board to a football field."
Happening today
The big movies opening today are "Need for Speed," a PG-13 action movie starring Aaron Paul from "Breaking Bad"; and "Veronica Mars," a PG-13 comedy-drama that spring from the TV show and a Kickstarter campaign to get the movie made.
Opening bell
The Dow Jones opened at 16,108.89 after falling 231.19 points Thursday.
Quote of the day
"A family called the police because their cat cornered them in a bedroom. They would've climbed out the window but their hamster was blocking the way." - Jimmy Fallon
Hot video: Birth control and STDs
New form of birth control could protect women from STDs.
More Content Now News


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The big count-down is on, kids, and if you're like me, you've still got gifts to make and cookies to bake. I was working on this relatively easy, unlined felt stocking today and thought I'd share this idea with you. Depending on how fast you embroider and sew, this can be a very quick project.
These were for Guppy's teachers this year. I didn't think to take a picture until we were leaving for school, hence the horrible lighting in the pre-dawn hours of 8:30am! You can hardly make them out, but there are snow flakes above the trees…
You'll need :
- Vegan felt. I used the vegan felt made from recycled plastic bottles I've blogged about before.
- Embroidery Floss & Needle
- Pencil or something to trace your pattern on.
- Christmas stocking to use as a model (if you don't have a stocking at home, just free-hand it or google it, there are lots of them out there).
- Scissors, thread and optional sewing machine (you can hand sew this quickly).
1) Start by tracing your stocking shape onto your felt. The quickest way to do it is to line up your two pieces of felt back to back, or fold a larger piece in two, then pin together. That way you'll only be cutting once.
2) Once you've cut out your felt, you'll want to draw a little something on it to embroider. If you're in a hurry (it is 3 days to Christmas) try to make your design rather simple. I just free-hand using a fat pencil. If this scares you (it did me the first time) practice a few times on a piece of paper first.
I just free-handed this little elf girl, see the minimalist lines, etc. She's not done, yet – I still need to give her a smile! Snowmen, Christmas trees, etc. work well here as they require few details yet still look lovely.
3) Embroider! Some people prefer sewing first, then doing the embroidery, but I find that because there isn't much room to move inside the stocking it's easier to embroider first, then sew. Look at the "How To" section at the top of the page for tutorials on basic embroidery, or again, google it. There are many helpful videos on YouTube, too. I just used a basic split-stitch for most of this little elf, but do what is easiest for you.
4) If the idea of embroidery scares you, just add a few appliqués. Follow the technique for the Basic Holiday Ornaments to get fun shapes, then handsew them onto your stocking – just be sure to allow for a seam allowance, or your adorable shapes will be swallowed by the seams! Aaak!
5) Fold over the opening of your two halves to finish them off and give them a nice, finished seam. The best is to fold over once, then fold over again so the raw edge is tucked up nicely. The amount is up to you, just be sure it's not too bulky and that it's the same on both halves. Sew them up with your machine (faster) or by hand (not terribly slow, if you're only making one stocking).
6) Now it's time to sew the two halves of your stocking together. Pin them right sides together, like so :
Now just sew along the edge, giving yourself about a 1/4 inch seam allowance, and turn inside out! You might also want to add a little bit of ribbon to the top for hanging, or embellish with ribbons, etc.
I don't actually have a finished picture of this one as I should be sewing it rather than writing a blog post about it, but to see a finished one, just again refer to the first photo in this post! Hopefully this one will be sewn up and stuffed with goodies before next year…
Do you have any ideas for quick, last-minute gift ideas? Just remember, it's ok. No matter what you've made or who you've made it for, it really is the thought that counts, no matter how trite that sounds.
W.I.P. Wednesday will be back next year! It's going to be an exciting year, and there will much going on. I can't wait!


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"He went to my high school!" I gestured excitedly in the movie theater last night. It was during the preview of "Won't Back Down," a film scheduled for release in late September. The cast includes Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ving Rhames and Holly Hunter. And it also features Bill Nunn, whose father and grandfather worked with my father at the Pittsburgh Courier. Bill, well, we called him "Bubby," also is a Morehouse grad.
What I hadn't noticed until I got home to read up on the film, is that it was shot in Pittsburgh.
And it's about parents who take a stand to make sure their kids get the quality education they are entitled to. Gotta love that.
I haven't seen the movie yet. I'll try not to judge it based on the trailer, which seems pretty high on cheese.
I'll go see it, though, just to see Bubby, who plays the school principal, and the Pittsburgh skyline, which makes my heart flutter.


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Affordable Junk Removal In New Jersey
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We will come to your home or business to haul your junk away. Our professional cleanout services will ensure that any kind of clutter, debris, appliances, electronics, furniture, yard waste and more will be fully disposed of in an ethical manner. JOE JUNK also provides light demolition services in New Jersey . Our demolition services include demolishing sheds, storage buildings and interior walls. Once we have safely demoed your structure, we will then clean up and haul away all of the debris..
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Wow, what great service! I asked my husband to call them yesterday. They came out today and had the garage cleaned out in record time. We had a lot of old plaster & lathe, as well as ancient bathroom fixtures. The $150 charge was a heck of a lot less than any other quote received. They were done instantly, and the place looks great. I'm sorry I didn't find out about them sooner. I think I heard my house sigh with relief at the amount of stuff that was removed.
- Adele P*


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Here you will find information for how to clear Candy Crush Saga Level 8223. We have included videos for Candy Crush Saga 8223 Level with all Help, Solutions, hints, strategy and walk-through to clear Level 8223 of Candy Crush Saga. This game is developed by King. Please note Level 8223 is tricky, difficult and challenging.
No of stars Required – One
How to beat Candy Crush Saga Level 8223?
This Video shows players the strategy to beat Candy Crush Saga Level 8223
This is the strategy that we used to beat this level
- In Candy Crush Saga Level 8223 Matching candies on the bottom is better so always start at the bottom.
- In Candy Crush Saga Level 8223 always go for the jellies on the edge of the board.
- Remember in level 8223 matching four or five candies creates a special candy.
- In level 8223 swiping a color bomb into a striped candy makes it extremely powerful.
- Always use your striped candies to your advantage so plan accordingly in Candy Crush Saga 8223 level.
- Make sure you clear the squares with the blockers first in Candy Crush Saga 8223 level.
- Whenever you are starting a new level make sure to look for most difficult elements on that level 8223 Candy Crush Saga.
- In level 8223 Candy Crush Saga understand the difference between vertical and horizontal Striped Candies and how to use them.
- In level 8223 figure out what your next three moves are going to be, and play according to that.
Similar Games –
Cookie Jam
Disney Emoji Blitz
Dr Mario World
Boosters which help you clear Level 8223 of Candy Crush Saga
- a) In Candy Crush Saga Level 8223 Lollipop Hammer can smash through Candies, blockers and other obstacles.
- b) In level 8223 Candy Crush Saga we have a booster when used will get five extra moves.
- c) Candy Crush Saga 8223 level by using Free Switch you can switch two adjacent Candies of your choice.
- d) In level 8223 using UFO will beam down some crucial help onto your board.
- e) Party Booster when used it will do the rest in Candy Crush Saga Level 8223
Play Candy Crush Saga on:
Android – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.king.candycrushsaga
iTunes – https://apps.apple.com/qa/app/candy-crush-saga/id553834731
Blockers present in Level 8223 of Candy Crush Saga –
1) In Candy Crush Saga Level 8223 you can clear frosting by making match to adjacent Candies.
2) In level 8223 Candy Crush Saga you have a blocker called Dark Chocolate. Make sure you don't allow it to spread.
3) In Candy Crush Saga 8223 level matching adjacent Candies is the best way to deal with Licorice Swirl.
4) Match the bomb with Candies of the same color before the timer hits zero in level 8223.
5) Try to destroy the mixer with adjacent matches, wrapped or striped candy blasts in level 8223 Candy Crush Saga.
Next Candy Crush Saga Levels –
Candy Crush Saga Level 8224
Candy Crush Saga Level 8225
Candy Crush Saga Level 8226
Candy Crush Saga Level 8227
Candy Crush Saga Level 8228
Candy Crush Saga Level 8229
Candy Crush Saga Level 8230
Candy Crush Saga Level 8231
Candy Crush Saga Level 8232
Candy Crush Saga Level 8233
Candy Crush Saga Level 8234
Supported Android or Apple Devices for Candy Crush Saga Level 8223
a) Android Devices – Own a processor built on ARMv7 architecture
Support OpenGL ES 1.0
Support a 310×480 resolution or higher
Run on Android OS 1.3 or higher
b) Apple Devices – iOS version 6.0 or later on the following models:
iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and later models
iPad 1 and later models
iPad Mini
iPod Touch 4th generation and later
Still Struggling to finish Candy Crush Saga Level 8223?
I will update Gogamerez with more tips and tricks, so please bookmark Gogamerez.com. Surely, you can share your own stuff and help players unlock more goodies, levels, magic potions and earn stars. If you have any suggestions or questions, then do leave a comment and I or my friends and readers will answer them.
Visit Candy Crush Saga page for level videos, written guides, tutorials, cheats and more.


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Morning Jolt: Ikea sending more money to Philippines than China
In the news
China, a close neighbor of the Philippines, has only pledged $1.6 million in aid to the country, which was struck by a major typhoon on Nov. 7, USA Todayreported. At least 3,600 people have died in the natural disaster, and conditions are worsening by the day. China has taken flack for its pledge, as even Swedish retailer Ikea has pledged more, $2.7 million. The U.S. has pledged $20 million.
Happening today
The big movies opening this week are "Nebraska," an R adventure flick starring Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb and Bob Odenkirk; and "The Best Man Holiday," an R comedy starring Monica Calhoun, Morris Chestnut, Melissa De Sousa and Taye Diggs.
Opening bell
The Dow Jones opened at 15,876.22 after finishing up 54.59 points Thursday.
Quote of the day
"Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven't time, and to see takes time - like to have a friend takes time." - Georgia O'Keeffe
Hot video: New gaming consoles ready for launch
The last time Sony and Microsoft came out with new video game consoles, there was no iPad, the iPhone was months away. The landscape has changed. Can consoles compete?
More Content Now


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Each half-hour episode of Everyday Food offers quick, easy and practical solutions to the challenges of everyday cooking and includes easy-to-make recipes along with smart tips and kitchen techniques.
The Everyday Food television show cast consists of four home-grown talents from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living: Sarah Carey, John Barricelli, Anna Last, and Lucinda Scala Quinn. The series brings to life Everyday Food magazine, the survival guide for home cooks that launched in January 2003. The publication features recipes designed to take 30 minutes or less to prepare, that can be made in multiple size portions and use widely available supermarket ingredients.


text: Back Does Exercise Deliver for Skin Care? Just as everyone wants the perfect flat stomach, many people would love a quick way—short of a surgical face lift—to firm up their faces. That's the hook behind a recent spate of articles, books, videos, and even tiny devices touting facial exercises as a vital addition to the daily fitness routine. Promoters say these exercises can minimize wrinkles, eliminate under-eye bags and firm double chins. They can, according to the promises, restore or maintain that youthful profile. But do they really work? Probably not, says Rodney Basler, M.D., a member of the American Academy of Dermatology. "The only thing that's going to push those wrinkles out is if you increase the volume of your face, like blowing air into a balloon," Dr. Basler says. Unfortunately, you can't pump up tiny facial muscles with exercise, he says. And no amount of heavy jawing can improve skin tone. Looking for the real cause of skin wrinkling and aging? "It's not muscle laxity," says Fred Fedok, M.D., director of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at Pennsylvania State University. "It's more due to damage from the sun." The sun causes an abnormal distribution of elastin and collagen, vital components of the skin's thickest layer, Dr. Fedok says. The result: Skin begins to lose its structural integrity. Most 40-somethings got 75 percent of their sun-damaging exposure before they were 18—at a time when the dangers of tanning weren't known, Dr. Fedok says. Now, most people know to use sunscreen liberally, to wear hats and cover-ups, and to avoid the "working on a tan" sunbaking that was popular 25 years ago. What else causes sagging and wrinkles? One culprit is the inevitable effect of gravity acting over time on the connective ligament-like tissues that hold the fat pads of the face in place, Dr. Fedok says. Another cause: Remember when your mother warned you not to make a face—it might freeze that way? Well, she had a point. Exaggerated facial expressions connected with strong emotions eventually can cause changes in the tissues under the skin. Laugh lines are just that. Facial exercises, which work on the muscles underneath the skin and not on the skin or connective tissue itself, do nothing to reverse these wrinkle- and jowl-making sources, Dr. Fedok says. In fact, exercises are probably unnecessary because—except in cases of facial paralysis, burns, stroke or trauma— constantly moving facial muscles tend to stay toned. "Practice relaxing the muscles, not toning them," he says. "Toning is happening already every moment of the day." When you fight wrinkles, dermatologists say, you're fighting destiny. Dozens of techniques have been promoted as wrinkle-busters. Many are useless. Nevertheless, there are some things you can do to offset the effects of time, sun and heredity: Avoid excess sun Use sun block, avoid deep tans or burns and wear sunglasses and a hat. Don't assume you're safe because you're in the shade under a boardwalk or a beach umbrella: Concrete and sand can reflect most of the sun's harmful rays. Exercise While facial exercises may not give you better skin, overall body exercise probably will, dermatologists say. "You do, as a matter of fact, get a look of health with people who do exercise," Dr. Basler says. "You get better color, because exercise temporarily increases your blood pressure and helps you get more blood to the skin, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to your facial skin." Cleanse sensibly A regular cleaning regimen will do your skin a world of good, says Nelson Lee Novick, M.D., a dermatologist at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. A gentle washing with mild soap and warm water is enough. Too much cleaning and scrubbing can dry your skin, making wrinkles more prominent. Don't smoke Not only does it slow the flow of oxygen to your skin, the constant puckering motion of dragging on a cigarette wrinkles your upper lip. Use treatments that work Make sure you have your doctor's approval. The best treatment is a cream called Retin-A, the trade name for retinoic acid, which is available only by prescription. The vitamin A derivative, first used as an acne treatment, was later discovered to be an effective remover of smaller wrinkles. Be skeptical Other wrinkle fighting tactics have minor benefits, dermatologists say. But if you're concerned about aging and your face, they may be worth considering. Such techniques include sleeping on your back and trying to keep a relaxed facial expression.


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Christine Lagarde became the first female to head the IMF on July 5 2011. Since the IMF was established, it has been dominated by Europeans and men. Only six of 30 senior executives and 21.5 percent of all managers have been women, and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) control only 10.8 percent of IMF votes. In this context, Lagarde's position in the IMF is a great victory for women, but it still leaves developing countries with little power.
If the position had gone to the Mexican central bank leader Agustin Cartens, who is also well qualified for the position, he could have brought in a new perspective to the organization. Today many in the developing world continue to be frustrated with the IMF's structure since it doesn't reflect the shifting power balance in the global economy. As the Latin America News Dispatch characterized the situation, "Carstens, who gained the backing Latin American nations like Chile and Peru as well as Australia and Canada, believes that emerging markets need to play a much larger role in setting the agenda of the IMF."
I recently attended the National Organization for Women's conference in Florida where participants debated the lack of female leaders. Female role models in positions of power could change this situation. Therefore Lagarde's victory has given me a sense of hope that women can be as ambitious as men. Not only is she the first female leader of the IMF, but she is also the first non-economist to lead the IMF. One of her goals during her term is to increase the presence of developing countries in the organization. She has vowed to give China the third-strongest voice in the organization and to give more voice to countries like Brazil and South Korea.
Not only does she want to create more culture diversity but also gender diversity. Thus, she could bring a new sensibility to the IMF in terms of its policies toward women. She believes that a gender-dominated environment is not healthy. She often says that "too much testosterone" is a problem for the financial sector. Therefore, we can expect Lagarde to enhance women's position and rights in the IMF.
Although Lagarde promises to diversify the organization, I still believe as a Ghanaian citizen that the position should have been given to a non-European, in particular a woman from a developing country.
One possible candidate is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the recently appointed finance minister of Nigeria and a former managing director of the World Bank. Okonjo-Iweala was notable for being the first female minister of finance and minister of foreign affairs under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 2003-2006. Okonjo-Iweala graduated from Harvard University and earned her Ph.D in regional economics and development from MIT. She helped Nigeria obtain its first sovereign debt rating and helping slash Nigeria's debt by almost $30 billion. Today she is a role model for many Nigerians and Africans at large, in particular women, and the IMF would do well to consider her for its next leader.
Esther Ohrt is a Foreign Policy in Focus intern.


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As the following obituary from the New York Times indicates, John Francis Lewis was openly opposed to secession, but was still selected by the people of Rockingham County, the people knowing clearly where he stood on the matter. Not only did he not vote in favor of it, he also refused to sign the Ordinance of Secession.
John F. Lewis, formerly United States Senator from Virginia, died yesterday at his home, at Lynnwood, Rockingham County, Va. He had long been a sufferer from cancerous affection. The disease so affected the sight of one of his eyes that the organ had to be removed about three years ago.
John F. Lewis was one of the most conspicuous figures in Virginia during the reconstruction days. A Whig all his life, and an opponent of secession, the deceased, after the war, became a member of what was known as the True Republican Party. After the close of the war Mr. Lewis advocated a liberal policy on the part of the Federal Government toward the South, and was instrumental in procuring pardons for many Southern men excluded from amnesty by President Johnson's famous proclamation.
He was twice Lieutenant Governor of Virginia during the most trying and important periods in its history – the first time in 1870, under Gilbert C. Walker, and the second time in 1882, on the readjuster ticker with William C. [E., not C.] Cameron. His election to the Lieutenant Governorship in 1870 was with the understanding that he would be made United States Senator for the long term. This understanding was carried out and Mr. Lewis and John W. Johnston were elected to the United States Senate as the first representatives of Virginia after the reconstruction. Mr. Lewis, who was a member of the State Secession Convention of 1861, was the only member of that body within the present limits of Virginia who refused to sign the ordinance of secession adopted by it. He was elected from his county with the distinct and avowed understanding that he would under no circumstances vote for the secession of the State. He took the ground that secession was as impolitic as it was unconstitutional and from that position he could never be swerved.
Mr. Lewis was born in Rockingham County, Va., on the 1st of March, 1818.* He was a lineal descendant of John Lewis, father of Gen. Andrew Lewis and of Thomas Lewis, and the first settler of what is now Augusta County, Va. He was also descended on the maternal side from Col. Charles Lewis, who was killed at the battle of Point Pleasant. He had all his life been a farmer, and belonged to that class of Virginia gentlemen who took a special pride in fine stock, and particularly in thoroughbred race horses.
Mr. Lewis was never a candidate for any public office until 1861, when he was prevailed upon to run as a delegate to the convention which declared in favor of his State seceding from the Union. After President Johnson's famous proclamation, Mr. Lewis, with others, appealed to Gen. Grant, when President of the United States, to recommend the passage by Congress of a law submitting to a separate vote of the people of Virginia the odious disfranchising clauses of the Underwood Constitution, which was done, and at the election at which the expurgated Constitution was adopted he was elected to the second place on the True Republican candidates, headed by Wells.
Mr. Lewis almost ever since the war antagonized Gen. Mahone and the character of politics represented by him. Although he ran on the readjuster ticket in 1881, and was elected to the Lieutenant Governorship, Lewis was not in full accord with Mahone. Their views on finances at that time probably accorded, but there was no community of sympathy or interest between the two men to any further extent. After 1883, when the Democrats elected the Legislature, and subsequently acquired control of the State Government, Mr. Lewis vigorously opposed Mahone. When the latter was the Republican candidate for Governor in 1889 Mr. Lewis threw his influence against him.
After his retirement from the office of Lieutenant Governor, in 1886, Mr. Lewis took little active interest in public affairs. For the last four or five years he had been in very bad health, and during the last two years was confined to the limits of his farm.
He was of a warm and generous nature, brave, magnanimous, and outspoken, and intensely loyal to his friends. He was a half-brother to Lunsford L. Lewis** of Richmond, the former President of the Supreme Court of Virginia, and father of Sheppard W. Lewis, for many years United States District Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
*John Francis Lewis was a son of Gen. T. Samuel Hance Lewis (1794-1869).
**Lunsford Lomax Lewis (1846-1920) was a half-brother to John Francis Lewis, and he married Rosalie Summers Botts, daughter of Virginia Unionist John Minor Botts.


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National Lobster Day? Apparently so.
On Wednesday before a crowd of 27,130 at Nationals Park, Your crack Washington Nationals Mascot Team added to the pantheon of obscure holiday celebrations, as Teddy emerged for the 4th inning presidents race sporting lobster claws in celebration of, yes, National Lobster Day.
While the Nationals bats were shelling the Cardinals, and Livan Hernandez and Pudge Rodriquez picked them apart on the field, Teddy needed a little more help to stay in the hunt for victory number one.
Longtime presidents race conspirator That Cat made an appearance at the starting gate, chasing the presidents across the warning track and bringing Jefferson down with an open-field tackle, perhaps in retaliation for last night's cheating incident.
With Jefferson out of the way, Abe Lincoln held a big lead heading down the first base line, but that's where he ran into the Rally Penguin. The Penguin, who last appeared in 2008, was waiting in ambush, and clotheslined Abe, who never saw it coming.
That left Teddy with a clear shot at the finish line, and only George Washington to beat. But alas, TR had no more tricks up his sleeve. Lobster-clawed Teddy faded at the finish, and George took the win.
Photos courtesy of Ethan Ableman.
Video courtesy of YouTube member lfahome


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NEW YORK (TheBlaze/AP) -- Wearing a replica of one of the organization's uniforms, Madonna called on the Boy Scouts to lift its ban on gays while also calling for a "revolution" to prevent discrimination and abuse of the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual community.
Speaking Saturday night at the GLAAD Media Awards, Madonna started off in a mischievous mood. She joked that she wanted to become a part of the Boy Scouts herself, but was turned down, even though she had the qualifications.
"I can build a fire. I know how to pitch a tent," said Madonna, sporting a Boy Scouts troop leader hat and a blue shirt and shorts set that included replicas of Boy Scout badges.
Madonna speaks onstage at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on March 16, 2013 in New York City. Credit: Getty Images for GLAAD
"I can rescue kittens from trees. Most importantly, I know how to scout for boys," she said, before adding, "I think they should change their stupid rules."
The Boy Scouts of America does not permit openly gay people to serve in the organization -- a decision that has come under increasing fire over the years.
Later, she got serious as she talked about the conflicts in the world and of the bullying of young gay, lesbian and transgender people.
"When I think about young kids in America who are being bullied and tortured, who are taking their own lives because they feel alone and judged, outcast and misunderstood, I want to sit down and cry a river of tears," Madonna said.
Noting that she has teenagers herself, she said, "It's an atrocity to me, I don't accept it."
Madonna speaks onstage at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on March 16, 2013 in New York City. Credit: Getty Images for GLAAD
Later she said, "I don't know about you, but I can't take this (expletive) anymore. That is why I want to start a revolution. It's 2013 people. We live in America, land of the free and home of the brave? That's a question, not a statement."
Madonna was on hand to give the Vito Russo Award to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. She lauded Cooper for standing up for the rights of others.
Watch video of Madonna's appearance, below:
Also honored by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation was the NBC musical series "Smash," the documentary "How To Survive a Plague," and "The Amazing Race." Brett Ratner was also given the Ally Award -- a turnaround from 2011, when the organization condemned the director for using an anti-gay slur, and he stepped down from a plan to direct the 2012 Academy Awards in the ensuing controversy.
Since then, Ratner has worked with the organization and made a public service announcement to promote equality.
Other Must-Read Stories:
- Is Pope Francis a Socialist Who Will Allow Liberation Theology to Infiltrate the Catholic Church?
- Wisconsin's New Concealed Carry Law (and a Former Marine) Just Saved This Woman's Life
- Sympathizing With Rapists? See What CNN Said About the Steubenville Rapists That Has It Taking Major Heat
- Madonna Chastises Boy Scouts Over Stance on Gays During GLAAD Awards…While Wearing This Bizarre Outfit


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Fans of the Egg McMuffin and Sausage Biscuit have long wanted the option to get breakfast at McDonald's after 10:30 a.m. But offering both the breakfast and lunch menu was considered logistically impossible, given the tight kitchen spaces of the restaurants.
Still, it's an option the chain is eyeing more seriously at a time when people's eating habits are changing - particularly those coveted customers in their 20s and 30s known as Millennials.
"We know, as an example, that breakfast on the weekend cut off at 10:30 doesn't go very well," Jeff Stratton, head of McDonald's USA, said in an interview.
Stratton declined to provide any details on how McDonald's would adjust kitchen operations to make breakfast later in the day.
"Well, we're just beginning. ... We're just taking a look at it," he said.
A representative for McDonald's, Lisa McComb, said after the interview that there are no tests currently in place for the extended breakfast hours.
McDonald's has long entertained the idea of serving breakfast throughout the day. But the chain has been inching closer to making the idea a reality as it faces heightened competition and slumping sales. Last year, for example, the company began offering an "After Midnight" menu at select locations. The menu, available from midnight to 4 a.m., consisted of a limited mix of breakfast and lunch items so kitchen operations wouldn't be overwhelmed.
The push to make breakfast outside normal hours also reflects how McDonald's is working to keep pace with shifting habits. In particular, executives have noted that customers increasingly want foods personalized to their tastes and schedules.
To cater to evolving tastes, the chain is also offering newer items such as chicken McWraps and the option to substitute egg whites in any breakfast sandwich.
As for extending its breakfast hours, McDonald's is known for treading extremely carefully when discussing any tests or potential changes. Such matters are considered sensitive in large part because they would require the support of the company's network of franchisees.
In the U.S., about 90 percent of the company's more than 14,000 U.S. restaurants are run by franchisees, who bear the responsibility of training employees and buying new equipment to accommodate any changes.


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Continuing the theme of alternative approaches to teaching calculus, I take the liberty of posting a letter sent by Donald Knuth to to the Notices of the American Mathematical Society in March, 1998 (TeX file).
Professor Anthony W. Knapp
P O Box 333
East Setauket, NY 11733
Dear editor,
I am pleased to see so much serious attention being given to improvements in the way calculus has traditionally been taught, but I'm surprised that nobody has been discussing the kinds of changes that I personally believe would be most valuable. If I were responsible for teaching calculus to college undergraduates and advanced high school students today, and if I had the opportunity to deviate from the existing textbooks, I would certainly make major changes by emphasizing several notational improvements that advanced mathematicians have been using for more than a hundred years.
The most important of these changes would be to introduce the notation and related ideas at an early stage. This notation, first used by Bachmann in 1894 and later popularized by Landau, has the great virtue that it makes calculations simpler, so it simplifies many parts of the subject, yet it is highly intuitive and easily learned. The key idea is to be able to deal with quantities that are only partly specified, and to use them in the midst of formulas.
I would begin my ideal calculus course by introducing a simpler " notation," which means "absolutely at most." For example, stands for a quantity whose absolute value is less than or equal to . This notation has a natural connection with decimal numbers: Saying that is approximately is equivalent to saying that . Students will easily discover how to calculatewith :
I would of course explain that the equality sign is not symmetric with respect to such notations; we have and but not , nor can we say that . We can, however, say that . As de Bruijn points out in [1, 1.2], mathematicians customarily use the sign as they use the word "is" in English: Aristotle is a man, but a man isn't necessarily Aristotle.
The notation applies to variable quantities as well as to constant ones. For example,
if and
Once students have caught on to the idea of notation, they are ready for notation, which is even less specific. In its simplest form, stands for something that is for some constant , but we don't say what is. We also define side conditions on the variables that appear in the formulas. For example, if is a positive integer we can say that any quadratic polynomial in is . If is sufficiently large, we can deduce that
I would define the derivative by first defining what might be called a "strong derivative": The function has a strong derivative at point if
whenever is sufficiently small. The vast majority of all functions that arise in practical work have strong derivatives, so I believe this definition best captures the intuition I want students to have about derivatives. We see immediately, for example, that if we have
so the derivative of is . And if the derivative of is , we have
hence the derivative of is and we find by induction that
Similarly if and have strong derivatives and , we readily find
and this gives the strong derivative of the product. The chain rule
also follows when has a strong derivative at point and has a strong derivative at .
Once it is known that integration is the inverse of differentiation and related to the area under a curve, we can observe, for example, that if and both have strong derivatives at , then
I'm sure it would be a pleasure for both students and teacher if calculus were taught in this way. The extra time needed to introduce notation is amply repaid by the simplifications that occur later. In fact, there probably will be time to introduce the " notation," which is equivalent to the taking of limits, and to give the general definition of a not-necessarily-strong derivative:
The function is continuous at if
and so on. But I would not mind leaving a full exploration of such things to a more advanced course, when it will easily be picked up by anyone who has learned the basics with alone. Indeed, I have not needed to use "" in 2200 pages of The Art of Computer Programming, although many techniques of advanced calculus are applied throughout those books to a great variety of problems.
Students will be motivated to use notation for two important reasons. First, it significantly simplifies calculations because it allows us to be sloppy — but in a satisfactorily controlled way. Second, it appears in the power series calculations of symbolic algebra systems like Maple and Mathematica, which today's students will surely be using.
For more than 20 years I have dreamed of writing a calculus text entitled O Calculus, in which the subject would be taught along the lines sketched above. More pressing projects, such as the development of the TeX system, have made that impossible, although I did try to write a good introduction to notation for post-calculus students in [2, Chapter 9].
Perhaps my ideas are preposterous, but I'm hoping that this letter will catch the attention of people who are much more capable than I of writing calculus texts for the new millennium. And I hope that some of these
now-classical ideas will prove to be at least half as fruitful for students of the next generation as they have been for me.
Donald E. Knuth
[1] N. G. de Bruijn, Asymptotic Methods in Analysis (Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1958).
[2] R. L. Graham, D. E. Knuth, and O. Patashnik, Concrete Mathematics (Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1989).


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County: Parking lot deal OK
Winnebago County is paying $950K to get 72 spaces downtown
ROCKFORD — Winnebago County will pay $950,000 to a trio of property owners, including retired Sheriff Don Gasparini, to build a 72-space parking lot downtown and hand it over to the county.
The property, the former Hawk's Nest restaurant at Church and Chestnut streets, was purchased by a limited liability corporation for $630,000 in 2005. It has a fair market value of $175,000, according to the Rockford Township Assessor's Office.
The county's $950,000 purchase price, which County Board members overwhelmingly approved in a voice vote last month, is based on a real estate appraisal that assumes the land is a new, commercial parking lot and not a shuttered restaurant. The price is meant to compensate the owners' cost to demolish the restaurant and build a parking lot with lights and security gates.
County officials say the purchase was necessary to provide parking to county employees, who lost more than 100 parking spaces in June 2012 when the city shut down access to 369 parking spaces in the concourse parking deck adjoined to the BMO Harris Bank Center. The county is bound by its labor contracts to provide parking space to employees and had been leasing space at the city's concourse deck, but much of the deck is now structurally unsound.
Downtown parking has been chaotic since then, especially on days where potential jurors are called to the county courthouse, Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen said. That, and the rising cost to lease parking space, was the impetus for the county's decision to buy land.
Officials say the purchase makes fiscal sense because the cost to buy the land will be cheaper in the long run than continuing to lease parking from Rockford as the city's rates rise.
The former Hawk's Nest is owned by Church and Chestnut Development LLC, which is managed by Gasparini, attorney Paul S. Nicolosi and Scandroli Construction owner Carl Scandroli. All three have given money to Christiansen's campaign fund.
"Irrespective of who owns any of those parcels: This is a winner from a cash flow standpoint and it solves a big problem for us and that's parking," Christiansen said.
The county is paying the Hawk's Nest owners $200,000 to demolish the restaurant and build the parking lot. The remaining $750,000 of the purchase price represents the property value according to an independent appraiser.
But the appraisal wasn't a traditional value comparison of similar properties. The appraisal is based on hypothetical conditions — how much the property would be worth if it were a commercial parking lot leasing spaces at $53 per space, per month. That's the rate the county currently pays for parking. The appraisal further assumes the owner can earn $15 per space by charging rent during more than 70 events at the BMO Harris Bank Center each year.
County officials feel $200,000 was fair based on their most recent construction of an 80-space lot north of the BMO Harris Bank Center. The county paid $251,000 to build 80 stalls and an additional $40,000 to hook up lights and electricity.
"We never wanted to get into the parking business," Christiansen said. "But our choices were extremely limited."
He said the county was forced to find its own parking plan because of the unexpected structural problems at the city's concourse parking deck. He said the county couldn't wait for the city to fix that deck or develop a new parking plan because it had immediate employee parking needs. The Hawk's Nest was a logical location because it's less than a block from the County Administration Building on Elm Street and in the same area as court services.
"We only have a certain area we can work with for employees, we have to stay as close as possible," Christiansen said.
The city had also eyed the Hawk's Nest location as a potential parking spot briefly last year, said Jeremy Carter, city traffic engineer. The city owns the municipal lot on the same block as the Hawk's Nest and initially considered the former restaurant as a location for a parking deck.
What's it worth?
Trying to determine the value of downtown parking isn't easy. In April, Rockford aldermen rejected an offer to purchase the former Rockford Watch Company factory on Madison Street for $580,000 because they felt the price was too steep. The city would have spent hundreds of thousands more after the purchase to demolish the lot and create around 200 parking spaces to support a planned sports complex nearby.
There was far less debate among County Board members regarding the Hawk's Nest deal. The board voted 16-3 last week to borrow $4 million, which will pay for the $950,000 Hawk's Nest transaction, a $1.2 million acquisition of the Rosecrance Ware Center and its 105 parking spaces, $800,000 for manufacturer Excelsior's building and improvements to its property, $6,000 for a small lot south of the Criminal Justice Center, as well as other capital improvements. The borrowed money will also help the county move its last remaining operation — the coroner's office — out of the downtown Public Safety Building.
Those that objected to the plan did not question the purchase price of those properties, which were each based on independent appraisals. County Board member Steve Schultz, R-3, said he couldn't support the county taking on an additional $4 million in debt at a time when the budget was already so tight that officials planned to dip into reserve funds to cover operating costs. He said he didn't know who owned the Hawk's Nest at the time of the vote, but was concerned when he learned who owned the property.
"Those kinds of decisions hurt our credibility with our constituents and with the public," Schultz said. "It's one of those things that I think we should avoid."
Deal questioned
County board members questioned staff about the deal, but were ultimately satisfied that the county's purchasing director Sally Claassen had proven the purchase was a wise investment, said County Board Republican Caucus leader John F. Sweeney.
Debt payments for the county's borrowing plan will cost about $376,000 a year for 15 years. County officials calculated that it would have cost about $466,000 each year — or more depending on how much parking rates increase — if the county were to continue to pay to rent parking and storage space and stay inside the Public Safety Building.
"I can understand someone wanting to connect the dots and wanting to make assumptions one way or another about it, but I think in this case board members were not skeptical of the deal because of the obvious need for parking and the location of the property," Sweeney said. "There's a real need to figure out where we're going to have parking for our employees. That parking lot is located where it is and it's owned by who it's owned by."
Kevin Haas: 815-987-1410; email@example.com; @KevinMHaas